Gallery: Selling kids on veggies and fruit

iStockphoto, Thinkstock03.07.2012

An article published in the February 2012 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition by Jennifer Savage and colleagues reported that serving smaller entree portions to kids ages three to five is one way to increase fruit and vegetable intake.

If you offer your child a half portion of macaroni and cheese or half of a sandwich, she will likely have room to eat the raw veggies and dip or fruit salad you prepared.

This study also found kids eat fewer overall calories, which could be an important strategy if your child is overweight.

iStockphoto
/ Thinkstock

How much does my child need per day?

Health Canada recommends the following vegetable and fruit servings per day: children ages two to three, four servings per day; kids ages four to eight years, five servings per day; and kids ages nine to 12 years, six servings per day.

Kids should consume no more than 1/2 cup (125 mL) full-strength juice per day to make sure they get the variety of other foods needed for growth and health.

Photos.com
/ canada.com

Change texture

Many kids are not big on salads but may enjoy shredded cabbage or carrots. Instead of large chunks of hard veggies, try fine textures. Use a julienne peeler for cucumbers, zucchini and red peppers.

iStockphoto
/ Thinkstock

Go for smoothies

If fruits are a challenge, a breakfast or after-school smoothie is one of the best ways to eat your fruit. Try traditional ones, such as banana or frozen berries, but also consider others, like watermelon, mango, pineapple and kiwi.

Pixland
/ Thinkstock

Be sneaky

Add pureed onions, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, spinach and more to soups, stews and sauces. Add small pieces of steamed cauliflower to macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes.

iStockphoto
/ Thinkstock

Frame the choice

Instead of saying, "What would you like in your lunch?" reframe this question to several questions. "Outside of a cheese sandwich, we need to include fruits and vegetables in your lunch; would you prefer carrots or cucumbers? Would you prefer kiwi pieces or strawberries?"

Pixland
/ Thinkstock

Make it fun

Go to the library or search online for kids recipes and cookbooks that offer plenty of visual ideas to make food look good. Let kids help with selecting and preparing new items. Bring kids to the farmers' market and, this spring, grow something in a garden. My niece Zoe loves tomatoes and it all started with the fascination of watching them grow in her backyard.

Give them fun names such as "little trees" for broccoli or "Popeye power" for spinach. Make foods and how you serve them visually interesting. For older kids, fruit on kebabs or stabbing cooked carrot pieces with toothpicks can make a surprising difference than when they are just served on a plate to eat with a fork.

Thinkstock
/ canada.com

Use peer pressure

The more often your child eats with other kids who are good eaters and who eat foods that are currently refused, the more likely they will be to try them.

Comstock
/ Thinkstock

Be repetitive

Kids sometimes need to see and try new foods 20 or 30 times before they will accept them. Don’t give up after half a dozen times; your kids will surprise you.

Just when you feel like nothing you are doing is working, remember the words of author and speaker Linda Edgecombe: "Shift happens."

Gallery: Selling kids on veggies and fruit

Video

Diet & Fitness Videos

Best of Postmedia

Swoop has yet to pick up a single customer, but Canada’s newest ultra-low-cost carrier is already talking about expanding into a market that is just taking off. Launched by WestJet Airlines Ltd., Calgary-based Swoop started booking customers this month for flights that begin this summer connecting five Canadian cities. It is offering discounted fares on […]

Director Ryan Coogler admits he was surprised by the initial feedback he got from the bigwigs at Marvel Studios when he began sharing his vision for its next franchise, Black Panther. After all, he was set to make a $200-million epic blockbuster; a popcorn movie that mixed dazzling special effects, heart-stopping action sequences and sprawling […]

At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Mary Ormsby of the Toronto Star took one look at the fit, spandex-laden forms of the cross-country skiers and declared: “I have found my new sport.” Ormsby wasn’t a typical out-of-shape scribe. She had been an all-American volleyball player at Ohio State, so knew athletics from both sides. […]

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.